With training camps and Easter out of the way, sights are now firmly set on the up and coming regatta season.

A kit ordering window is now open so that you can top up on your VRC lycra stocks. Please note the JL lycra is the club’s official kit and is what those racing should wear as, it uses the correct shade of Vesta crimson.

Vesta “Leading the charge” in Rowing and Regatta this week. It’s not often we get featured so hooray for that. There’s a nice quote from coach, Jamie Low, and great race face pic of the WEHORR pennant winners!

Members the Remenham Club are invited to the annual dinner on Friday 26th April 2013. The venue is Twickenham RC and the guest speaker is Greg Searle. You can book now, simply click on the poster to open the PDF of the booking form.

At its wash-up meeting, the Vets Head committee reviewed the accounts of the race and decided that it will offer a partial refund of race fees in light of our to need to cancel the 2013 edition of the race.

As competitors will realise there are numerous obligatory expenses incurred in staging any race. As organisers we also appreciate the efforts and expenses that our competitors incur in order to participate. After due consideration of the amounts left over from the race, the committee is offering crews a 50% refund of the £85 entry fee.

Entrants do have a choice, though: you can claim a direct refund now or opt to carry forward the refund to obtain a 50% discount on an entry for next year’s race. Given we have 124 clubs providing entries, we would prefer, if at all possible, to make a single refund per club

Please send an email to open.events@vestarowing.co.uk informing us of your choice. When emailing could you please include the following information:

* your race number and/or the BROE entry id for the crew/crews for which you are claiming

* your identity (if you were not the submitting BROE entries secretary listed for the entry) i.e. Club Captain.

* whether you want to claim a refund or a discount for 2014

* please try to group the requests from your club into one repayment, if possible.

* if a refund could you provide bank details (sort-code and account number for a UK bank, IBAN/SWIFT details for international transfers).

* we would prefer not to generate cheques, but will do so if absolutely necessary. If so, please provide a mailing address for us to send it to.

Vesta men’s ‘A’ crew won the IM.2 pennant at Kingston Head on Saturday afternoon and came 2nd overall in the division. Well done guys! Our second crew also came 4th in their category and the first novice crew were the 5th fastest novices. The novice men also raced well at Hammersmith.

In light of the dazzling 3rd place and club pennant the ladies won, we haven’t mentioned much about the other women’s crews that raced at WeHORR last weekend, but the results show it was a storming performance by the women’s squad, yet again being one of the strongest clubs in the country, and with a change of coaching personnel. Bravo! Our IM.2 ‘C’ crew were 3rd in their category, hanging on the coat tails of the IM.1 ‘B’ crew who were 5th in theirs. The girls are showing real strength in depth.

Finally the men’s head draw is available for Saturday here. The ‘A’ crew is starting 51st and racing in the IM.2 category, so that will be a good, ripping race for the guys, who I am sure have the bit between their teeth after last weekend. The ‘B’ crew is also racing IM.2 and will be bidding for a top 100 place and closing the gap on their squad-mates. Vesta also has a novice VIII racing starting at 183, which will be a very exciting day for these guys. You’ve earned your place, go and race it!

On Sunday, for Vesta’s own Vets Head, we have four Vesta crews and one composite. See the draw here. We’ve got two Women’s Masters A (how will they step up from the cowboys and indians last year? That will be something to see I think!) plus an open and mixed masters crew. The composite is an unknown to me, so that might be one to watch!

Please contact me on comms@vestarowing.co.uk to update me on your results or upcoming races and please send me photos and the names of crew members so I can name-check you! Thanks, Cheryl

This year’s A crew achieved the best ever result for women’s rowing at Vesta in its 19 year history, and they did so in the face of heavy expectation, having finished in fourth place last year and starting this year in third. The club was well and truly excited and proud to see their performance last Saturday and wish them the best of luck preparing for the summer season. The B, C and D crews also performed exceedingly well with some very respectable results and the Masters crew showed their class too. Well done to them and their coaches. The crew tells their story in the race report below. (And I hope to be bringing you further WEHORR race reports from the other Vesta crews soon too!)

With four returning members of the crew that came 4th in 2012 and a crop of new talent, the 1st VIII started the race in 3rd position on the river. The plan was simple: start close behind crew 2, Belvoir from Zurich, and overtake them on the run up to Hammersmith. After staying relaxed in the marshalling area we spun and paddled to the start line with a length of clear water to our Swiss counterparts – perfect. The wind into the start began almost from the off; the crew was keen to get down to business! Through the line and straight into an aggressive rhythm at 34. Within the first two minutes we had overlap and broke clear of the Belvoir crew under Barnes Bridge, with a small clash between Lara at 7 and their 2 girl which just added to the excitement! With renewed vigour we escaped our European colleagues and now there was one crew between us and the finish line. Thames A had opened up a large gap of about ten lengths whilst we were in our tussle with Belvoir. It was time to make chase. Driven on by cox, Ro Thompson, we dug deep and made substantial gains up to Hammersmith. The noise and support for Vesta on the bridge was incredible and something that will inspire us for the rest of the season I am sure! All along the course from Hammersmith we were pushed on by Ro to close the gap on Thames, which by the finish, was about three lengths of clear water. Crossing the line the mood was euphoric. We had had a beast of a row and we knew it. Returning to VRC whilst everyone on the bank was applauding us was amazing but made the wait for the results all the more nerve-wracking! Luckily post-race pizza was on hand to settle the stomachs and finally the website was updated. Yes! 3rd place behind IC/Olympian crew and GB U23 squad and the Club Pennant.